SpaceX is preparing to launch 60 new Starlink satellites on May 17. The shooting will take place Sunday morning.
What is the mission?
Once again, it is a question of adding new satellites to the Starlink constellation, the establishment of which began in 2019. This flight constitutes the eighth shot dedicated to this project which, let us recall, intends to allow access to the Internet from space for regions of the world that are poorly covered by or lack terrestrial telecommunications infrastructure.
As with other shots, the payload that the Falcon 9 rocket will orbit contains sixty satellites. With them, the constellation will pass to 480 satellites. Enough to allow SpaceX, which is behind this program, to prepare for the upcoming launch of its offer as an Internet service provider. The plans of the American group plan to kick off in 2020.
Despite the coronavirus and the constraints that the disease poses on daily life and business activities, SpaceX did not pause its program: there were two shots dedicated to Starlink in January, then one every month until May. Shots in June, July and August are also on the rails, as well as for almost all other months of the year.
True to its strategy, the rocket that will be used includes elements that have already been used in previous missions: the first floor thus participated in two Starlink missions, as well as in the Iridium-8 and Telstar 18 Vantage flights. As always, satellites can be seen from Earth for a few days, much to the dismay of the astronauts moreover, by the time they settle into the right orbit and complete their maneuvers.
Launch date
SpaceX announced the successful static firing of its launcher on May 13, which allows it to prepare for the flight itself. This is scheduled for Sunday, May 17, at 3:53 a.m. local time – the mission departs from Florida, on the east coast of the United States. For French women and men in mainland France, this means that takeoff will occur at 9:53 a.m. Right after breakfast.
Static fire test of Falcon 9 complete — targeting Sunday, May 17 at 3:53 a.m. EDT, 7:53 UTC, for launch of the eighth Starlink mission, which will lift off from SLC-40 in Florida
– SpaceX (@SpaceX) May 13, 2020
How to follow the launch live
The shooting is broadcast on the SpaceX official site, as well as on his YouTube channel. We will include the video in this article when it becomes available.
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